Rhonda J. Morris
WorkdayAbout Rhonda J. Morris
Rhonda J. Morris, age 59, joined Workday’s Board in 2025 as an independent director and serves on the Compensation Committee. She was Chevron’s Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer from 2016 through December 2024, holds a BA in English from UC Davis and an MBA from Boston University, and brings 30+ years of global HR leadership including a large-scale HR digital transformation deploying Workday .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron Corporation | Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer | 2016 – Dec 2024 | Led people & culture strategy; spearheaded HR digital transformation unifying ERP systems with Workday |
| Chevron Corporation | Various roles in HR, global marketing, international products | 1991 – 2016 | Progressive leadership across HR and commercial functions |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Academy of Human Resources | Fellow | N/A | Recognition of HR leadership |
| Several non-profit boards | Board member | N/A | Service on multiple non-profit boards (companies not specified) |
Board Governance
- Independent director; Board affirmed independence for all non-employee directors, including Ms. Morris . In the 8-K appointing her, Workday specifically determined she is independent under Nasdaq rules .
- Committee assignments: Compensation Committee member; Compensation Committee comprised entirely of independent directors; George J. Still, Jr. is Chair; met five times in fiscal 2025; responsibilities include executive and director pay, ownership guidelines, recoupment policies, human capital oversight, and succession planning .
- Board practices: frequent executive sessions of independent directors, lead independent director in place (Mark Hawkins), and 100% independent committees .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Structure | Vesting | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSU award for non-employee directors | $320,000 | Vests in one installment on May 5 of the year following grant, subject to continued service | |
| Committee Chair RSU (Audit) | $75,000 | Same schedule | |
| Committee Chair RSU (other committees) | $50,000 | Same schedule | |
| Committee Member RSU (Audit) | $37,500 | Same schedule | |
| Committee Member RSU (other committees) | $25,000 | Same schedule | |
| Chair of Board incremental RSU | $50,000 | Same schedule | |
| Vice Chair/Lead Independent Director incremental RSU | $50,000 | Same schedule | |
| Initial RSU for newly appointed director (cap) | Up to $1,000,000 (not to exceed $1,000,000 for initial award; total up to $1,750,000 in first calendar year) | Typically structured with quarterly vesting over ~3 years, after one-year cliff on 1/4 of grant (per specific award terms) | |
| Rhonda J. Morris expected initial RSU award | $750,000 | 25% vests one year after grant; remaining 75% vests in equal quarterly installments over the next 12 quarters, subject to continued service |
Director stock ownership guidelines: Board-level guideline set at a $600,000 ownership value for directors (disclosed in prior-year proxy) .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Applies to Director Pay? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Performance-based equity (PSUs), revenue/margin goals | No | Workday introduced PSUs for executives in fiscal 2026; non-employee director compensation consists of time-based RSUs only |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role/Relationship | WDAY Transaction Overlap | Notes/Controls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron Corporation | Former VP & CHRO (through Dec 2024) | Chevron is a Workday customer; payments of ~$19.8M (FY ended Jan 31, 2024) and ~$0.9M (six months ended Jul 31, 2024) under arms-length agreements | Board determined Ms. Morris is independent; Workday applies related-party/independence policies; disinterested Board members assess arms-length transactions |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep HCM expertise: talent strategy, leadership succession, workforce planning, total rewards; extensive customer-side experience with Workday platform from Chevron’s HR transformation .
- Global business acumen and executive leadership; strong “voice-of-the-customer” perspective for Workday’s product and Compensation Committee work .
- Education: BA, UC Davis (English); MBA, Boston University .
- Recognition: Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail | Vesting | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected initial RSU award | $750,000 | 25% at 1-year; remainder quarterly over 12 quarters | |
| Annual director RSU program (general) | $320,000 (plus committee role increments) | Annual vest on May 5 following grant | |
| Ownership guideline | $600,000 board guideline | N/A |
Note: Specific share counts/beneficial ownership for Ms. Morris were not disclosed in the portions of filings reviewed. Workday’s standard indemnification agreements apply to directors .
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness and independence: Ms. Morris strengthens the Compensation Committee with 30+ years of HR leadership and direct Workday customer experience; Compensation Committee independence, use of independent consultant (Semler Brossy), and documented responsibilities support credible oversight of pay and human capital .
- Alignment and incentives: Director pay is equity-only RSUs with clear vesting, robust ownership guidelines, and prohibitions on hedging/pledging—aligning director interests with long-term shareholder value .
- Potential conflicts: Prior executive role at Chevron (a Workday customer) constitutes an interlock; Workday disclosed arms-length commercial relationships and affirmed Ms. Morris’s independence, mitigating conflict risk under its related-party and independence policies .
- Engagement signals: Compensation Committee activity (five meetings in FY2025), Board’s regular independent executive sessions, and year-round investor engagement program indicate active oversight and responsiveness to shareholder feedback on governance and pay .
Red flags: None material identified specific to Ms. Morris; monitor ongoing related-party exposure with former employer relationships and ensure continued compliance with independence policies and director ownership guidelines .